Improvement in button-hole cutters



UNITED STATES IPATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. HOUSE AND HENRY A. HOUSE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN BUTTON-HOLE CUTTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 53,619, dated April 3,1866.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMEs A. HoUsE and HENRY A. HOUSE, both of the townof Bridgeport, iu the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Instruments for CuttingButton-Holes; and we do hereby declare that the followingis a full,clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of thesame, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 represents a top view of ourinstrument, showing the cutter-lever in various positions. Fig. 2 is aside elevation, showing the cutter in various positions. Fig. 3 is aninside view ofone-half of the pliers, showing the opening-spring; andFig. 4 is a vertical section through the joint of the instrument.

It is the object of our invention to construct self-opening pliers thatshall cut button-holes at varying angles to the selvage; and to this endour invention consists in constructing pliers with a concealed spring inthe joint, with one jaw terminating in a dat surface, while the otherjaw carries a pivoted cutter having attached to it a scaled lever, sothat the cutter, by simply moving the lever, -can be set at any angledesired, and button-holes be cut by simply closing the cutter of one jawi upon the flat surface of the other.

To carry out the object of our invention we construct a pair of pliersor forceps, A, consisting of two levers, B and C, the long arms of whichconstitute handles, while the short arms terminate in jaws D and E.These levers are united at F by a screw, G, that constitutes the fulcrumof both levers; and a spiral spring, H, fastened at one end. to theinner face ofthe leverB at thejoint F, passes around the fulcrum Gr andhas its opposite end fastened to the inside of the lever C at the joint,which renders the jaws of the pliers or forceps self-opening; and thejoint is fitted neatly with projections from the lever, which limit thewidth to which the jaws can open; and the spring being concealed is notliable to injury, and leaves the forceps in a condition to be neatlyfinished on theirl outer surface.

The jaw D is the short arm of the lever C, and has a hole drilledvertically through it to receive the shank a of the cutter K, whichterminates in a chisel-edge of the width to suit the length ofbutton-hole desired. The shank a of the cutter carries on its topalever, fv, that is secured to the shank by a pin, c, and this levercarries on its under side a scaled quadrant-plate, d, which moves overthe surface of and in contact with the upper side of the jaw D.

The lower jaw, E, of the lever B is furnished with a plane surface toreceive a soft-metal disk, e, with a plane surface to support thematerial in which the button-hole is to be cut.

The operation of our invention is obvious: The movement of the lever band the quadrant-plate determines with precision the position of thecutter at any desired angle to the selvage or edge of the goods in whichbutton holes are to be out; and when the goods are placed ou the planesurface or face of the lower jaw and the levers B and C are compressedby the hand of the operator the cutter will descend and pass through thegoods, and when the hand is relaxed the spring will cause the jaws ofthe pliers to open instantly and permit a repetition of the operation.As illustrated in the drawings, when the lever b is placed in thedirection of the black arrow in Fig. l the cutter will appear as at finFig. 2 and the button-hole be eut parallel with the selvage. When thelever b is in the direction marked with redin Fig. 1 the cutter willbein the direction g, also marked with red lines as iu Fig. 2, and thebutton-hole will be cut at a right angle to the selvage. Thus the changeof the position of the lever enables the button-hole to be cut at anydesired angle to the selvage.

When it is desired to vary the length of the button-hole it is onlyrequired to remove the pin c from the shank of the cutter, and afterwithdrawing it supply its place with a cutter of the width desired. Theflat plate of the lower jaw may be secured in position by a pin, or, ifpreferred, a dovetailed slot may receive a dovetailed projection fromthe under side of the plate; and in either mode it is obvious thatplates of varying widths may be introduced to match the cutters ofvaried width,or that worn plates may be removed with facility and newones put in the place.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

l. The axially-adjustable cutter, substan- In testimony whereof we havehereunto tially as described, for cutting button-holes at subscribed ournames. any desired angle to the selvage.

2.' The combination of the axially-adjust able cutter in one jaw of thepliers with the adjustable plate in the other jaw of the pliers,Vitnesses: when both are removable, to eut button-holes GEORGE C.BISHOP, of varying size, substantially as set forth. SAMUEL BURR.

